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Alasdair Fotheringham

'The pink jersey is more dream than reality' - Wout van Aert scales back ambition of taking early Giro d'Italia lead

Team Visma-Lease a Bike's Belgian rider Wout Van Aert waves on stage during the opening ceremony and team presentation in Tirana, on May 7, 2025, two days before the departure of the Giro d'Italia 2025 cycling race. The Giro d'Italia 2025 cycling race will depart from Durres, Albania on May 9, and finish in Rome on June 1. (Photo by Luca Bettini / AFP).

Wout van Aert had the goal of claiming the maglia rosa in the opening stages of the Giro d'Italia in Albania this weekend, but revealed in his pre-race interviews that because of a viral infection, achieving that is looking considerably less likely than he had hoped.

Van Aert has worn the leader's jersey in the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, and was aiming to complete his Grand Tour collection in the 2025 Giro d'Italia.

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